Coptic Pope Tawadros urges Australian vote against gay marriage

In a visit to Australia, the Egyptian Coptic Pope, Tawadros II, has urged young men and women int he country to vote against same-sex marriage in the country’s upcoming plebiscite.

The Pope addressed over 1,000 young people last Friday evening at the International Convention Centre in Sydney Harbour and charged them to ‘fight for what is right’. Tawadros declared that “family equals father and mother.”

“According to the Holy Bible, when you read either in the Old Testament or the New Testament, there is not, at all, same-sex marriage. Therefore, this marriage is completely refused from the Christian faith.” Tawadros told his young congregation.

Pope Tawadros II, during his visit, requested Australians Copts to pray for “The stability of Egypt” which invariably means “the stability of the Middle East and the Mediterranean,” he said.

Tawadros denied a media statement attributed to him that he asked the Australian government to host 20 Coptic families facing persecution in Egypt. The Coptic Orthodox Church Spokesman Father Boulos Halim, said in a statement: “The Egyptian government protects churches and the Church has good ties with the president, government, parliament, and the whole society.

“Egypt is the heart of the Middle East and stability of Egypt means stability of the entire region, stressing that the terror attacks target Egypt’s national unity.” The statement explained that the Pope wanted the ratio of Muslim and Christian refugee intake to be considered but added that, “I think that the decision of migration from Egypt to any country is an individual, personal decision for the families,” the pope told AAP.

Hassan John is West Africa Editor, Global Christian New and priest of the Anglican Diocese of Jos